🎒 Ditch the Sticker Chart: A Finnish-Inspired Approach to Behavior That Starts on Day 1

vanessa speigle
Aug 3
3 min read

By Vanessa Speigle | Rekla Consulting and Learning Studios

The new school year is here. You’ve set up your classroom, organized your materials, and reviewed your curriculum. But there’s one thing still looming in the back of your mind:

“How am I going to manage behavior this year?”

Most teachers are trained to rely on systems: sticker charts, token boards, color clips, and consequences. And while these tools might give short-term results, they rarely build the kind of community that keeps students thriving all year long.

At Rekla, we believe there’s a better way.

🧭 A New Lens: What Finnish Classrooms Do

A high-resolution photograph of a diverse group of elementary students and their teacher gathered in a well-lit, welcoming classroom. The students are engaged in a cooperative group activity, smiling and collaborating. Overlaid text reads: “Building Trust from Day One: Why It Matters More Than Rules.” The atmosphere conveys warmth, mutual respect, and a sense of belonging—key principles of Finnish-inspired education.

Differently

In Finnish classrooms, behavior isn’t something teachers control, it’s something the whole class shapes together. The foundation of this approach is built on three key beliefs:

Trust Before Rules Students are given autonomy before they've "earned" it. This belief in their goodness fuels their sense of responsibility.
Belonging Through Collaboration Classroom agreements aren’t dictated, they’re co-created. Students help define how they want to be treated and treat others.
Reflection Over Punishment Mistakes are met with calm reflection, not escalating consequences. Students learn to regulate through experience and support.

This isn’t just theory. These practices show up in real classrooms even during the very first week of school.

🧰 4 Rekla Strategies You Can Use This Week (No Rewards or Consequences Needed)

Here are four Finnish-inspired, teacher-tested strategies you can use immediately to build a positive classroom culture; no behavior charts required.

1. ✋ Create the Agreements Together (Day 1)

Instead of reading off a list of rules, ask your students:

A smiling teacher sits at a table with a diverse group of young students engaged in a creative classroom activity. The atmosphere is warm and collaborative, reflecting trust-based classroom culture. Colorful drawings and cheerful wall decorations reinforce a joyful, inclusive environment.

“What do we need from each other to make this a place where everyone can learn and feel safe?”

Let them brainstorm in pairs or small groups. Then gather their ideas into 3–5 core agreements. Write them in kid-friendly language, post them visibly, and let the class sign them as a group.

🧠 Why it works: It builds ownership. Students are more likely to uphold agreements they helped create.📎 Included in: Day 1 of the Rekla Teacher & Leader Back-to-School Tool kits

2. 🧘 Add a Calm Space (Day 2)

A diverse group of children sit cross-legged on yoga mats in a school gymnasium, practicing mindfulness. Their calm focus models a behavior management strategy grounded in self-regulation and inner reflection, core aspects of Finnish-inspired learning environments.

Set up a quiet corner of your room even just a pillow and a book, introduce it as a Calm Space, not a punishment zone. Teach your students that anyone can go there when they feel overwhelmed, distracted, or upset.

No timers. No shame. Just trust.

🧠 Why it works: It gives students a tool to self-regulate and models emotional awareness.📎 Included in: Day 2 of the Rekla Teacher Toolkit

3. 👥 Use a “Community Echo” (Day 3–4)

At the end of each day, ask:

“Who helped our community today?”

A large group of children wearing matching green shirts stands in a coordinated wave formation on a grassy field, raising their hands in celebration. The image captures unity, cooperation, and the spirit of collective effort in a school community.

Or try a “Reflection Echo”: students turn to a partner and name something kind, helpful, or respectful they noticed. These moments build authentic recognition without external rewards.

🧠 Why it works: It rewires the reward system from “what I get” to “how I contribute.”📎 Included in: Daily reflection routines in the Rekla Toolkit

4. 🎓 Introduce Voluntary Leadership Roles (Day 4–5)

Ditch the job chart. Instead, invite students to step into leadership based on interest:

“Is there anything you’d like to take responsibility for this week?”

From tech helpers to book buddies to nature spotters, the roles grow organically. Students lead because they want to, not because it’s assigned.

🧠 Why it works: It nurtures identity, confidence, and community roles.

📎 Included in: Day 5 of the Rekla Toolkit + Large Group Adaptation Guide

🌱 Start the Year with Trust

When you build your classroom culture on trust, collaboration, and reflection, students don’t just “follow the rules.” They create the culture.

You don’t need sticker charts.

You need structure that honors your students as capable, emotional, growing humans and gives them the chance to show up that way, every single day.

📎 Get the Tool kits!

A side-by-side graphic shows the 5-day Back-to-School Starter Toolkits for School Leaders and Teachers. Each toolkit includes daily themes like trust-building, collaboration, creativity, and vision-setting—designed to align classroom and school culture from day one using Finnish-inspired strategies.

🎁 Want step-by-step support for your first week of school? Download both the Teacher and Leader versions of the Rekla 5-Day Back-to-School Toolkit

completely free for a limited time.

👉https://www.reklalearningstudios.com/backtoschooltools

🔜 Coming Thursday

Rethinking Assessment: How to Use Feedback as a Tool for Growth You’ve set the culture. Now let’s shift how we measure what matters.

and

🎁 New Resource Drop! Behavior & Belonging: A 5-Day Culture Builder for Early and Upper Grades Everything you need to set classroom expectations without rewards or punishments: just trust, reflection, and student voice.